County receives $4,300 MAC grant for art installment at Unity Park

The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors has been awarded a $4300 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the $1.3 million in grants the Commission will award in 2020-2021 and will be used toward the creation of a work of art by Starkville artist Dylan Karges for the Oktibbeha County Unity Park. The grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

“At a time when the arts community is still very much reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are truly delighted to be able to provide grant funding to worthy organizations across the state, “said Malcolm White, executive director of MAC. “We applaud and are proud to support the efforts these organizations have made to keep the arts alive in their communities.”

The Oktibbeha County Unity Park, located on North Dr. Douglas L. Conner Drive , was established by the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors to honor those who had contributed to civil rights and unity in the County. The Unity Park Committee made up of eight citizens: Robbie Coblentz, Charles {La La) Evans, Jay Hurdle, Everlyn Johnson, Dylan Karges, Jeanne Marszalek, Billy Nicks, Chris Taylor, and Eva Maria White, was chosen to oversee the design of the Park and those chosen to be honored there. Dr. Douglas Conner, Martin Luther King, Governor William Winter, Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, and the Game of Change (the MSU basketball team that played for the first time in a

NCAA tournament against the all black team of Loyola University, March 15, 1963)) were chosen, and large plaques displaying their pictures and a quote of each were unveiled on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January, 2015. For information about the Unity Park and those honored there, go to: starkvilleunitypark.com.

The Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, serves the residents of the state by providing grants that support programs to enhance communities; assist artists and arts organizations; promote the arts in education and celebrate Mississippi’s

cultural heritage. Established in 1968, the Mississippi Arts Commission is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation for Greater Jackson and other private sources. The Agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.

For information from the Mississippi Arts Commission, contact Anna Ehrgott, Communications Director, 601-359-6546 or aehrgott@arts.ms.gov.